RWIS Usage Report (Alaska)

To assess the current usage of the RWIS network of the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, and to identify ways to improve its utility and effectiveness.

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (ADOT&PF) has a network of nearly 50 operational road weather information systems (RWIS) sites located at strategic locations on its highway network. These sites provide environmental information (such as temperature, precipitation, and wind speed) to ADOT&PF personnel for winter weather maintenance decisions. Other key uses of RWIS data include traveler safety, year-round maintenance, and traveler information. ADOT&PF is interested in assessing how its RWIS network is used, answering questions such as who is using the information, how effective it is, how it supplements other sources of weather information, and how personnel uses the information to make decisions. There is also interest in seeing how the system may be improved through staff training, adding or changing locations of RWIS sites, or changing the types of sensors. Through this project, WTI researchers will conduct surveys and interviews of ADOT&PF personnel to document current usage of the RWIS network, then develop recommendations for improving usage of the network.